ABOUT MIGRAINE

• MIGRAINE:

A migraine episode is a type of headache. An episode usually occurs in stages and can last for several days. Severe cases can affect a person’s daily life, including their ability to work or study. Migraine can affect people in different ways, and the triggers, severity, symptoms, and frequency can vary. Some people have more than one episode each week, while others have them only occasionally.

SYMPTOMS

Before the headache: According to research from 2008, 20–60%, of people with migraine experience symptoms that start hours or days before the headache.At this stage, a person might experience a “prodrome,” which may involve emotional changes, specifically depression and irritability. A prodrome can also include yawning, dizziness, thirst, frequent urination, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Sometimes an aura can occur. This involves physical or sensory symptoms, such as flashing lights in the field of vision.

During the headache: Alongside a mild to severe, throbbing or pulsing headache, symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, neck pain, dizziness, and nasal congestion.

Resolution: After the headache, tiredness and irritability may last another 2 days. This is sometimes called the “migraine hangover.”

Other common features of migraine are:

• head pain that worsens during physical activity or straining

• an inability to perform regular activities due to the pain

• increased sensitivity to light and sound that can sometimes be relived by lying quietly in a darkened room